By Felix Osike
in Mahagi, DRC THE US government will resume training programmes now that the last batch of 1,000 UPDF soldiers withdrew from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday.
The soldiers were stuck in Pataki two weeks ago due to bad weather but returned after walking 240kms to the Ggoli border point in Nebbi district yesterday.
The defence attaché at the US Embassy, Lt. Col. Richard Orth, told The New Vision yesterday that the military training programme earlier suspended, would resume.
“My job was to ensure that Uganda was out of Congo and once out, people in Washington would restart the training,” he said.
The soldiers walked from Mungdwallo to Bunia, then to Mahagi and finally to the Ugandan border in a period of two weeks.
They displayed the military hardware they had taken to Congo which included two tanks, two Mambas, missiles, seven troop carriers, seven civilian trucks and other munitions.
The soldiers were led by the sector commander for Mahagi, Col. Mawa Muhindo and Maj. Ezra Byaruhanga.
The withdrawal was witnessed by Lt. Col. Lucky Kekana, from South Africa.
“I am happy to come back home after accomplishing our mission there. The PRA (People’s Redemption Army) can’t attack us now. We have completely neutralised them,” Mawa said.
At the Ggoli border post, they were received by the former overseer in Ituri, Brig. Kale Kaihura and the Nebbi district RDC, Peter Odok Wod Ochieng.
About 1,500 Congolese refugees fleeing fighting in Bunia travelled alongside the troops.
Mawa appealed to the UN to neutralise the situation in Ituri.
Kekana said, “We are here to verify the pullout of the UPDF as agreed by the parties in S. Africa.
“A UN officer has been stationed at the Ggoli border to monitor and verify the withdrawal of the UPDF and their equipment.”
Ochieng said they have so far registered over 15,000 refugees from Paidha, bring the total number of refugees since fighting erupted in Ituri, to 18,000.
“We are finding a lot of problems with these refugees and the UNHCR (a UN refugee agency) is not responding in time. We are afraid if the problem is not handled at Mahagi, it will overwhelm us,” he said.
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